What’s next? Mapping out which Miami Dolphins could be coming and going in free agency and the draft

The Miami Dolphins finally filled a position need Monday night (sort of) when they signed quarterback David Garrard, presumably to be Matt Moore’s backup.

I say “sort of” because Garrard is no lock to make the roster – his 1-year deal doesn’t become guaranteed until he makes the roster in Week 1, and Garrard, 34, didn’t play in 2011 after being cut and having back surgery. And the Dolphins still need at least one more quarterback, with just Moore, Garrard and Pat Devlin, an undrafted rookie last year, on the roster.

The Dolphins also cleared some much-needed salary cap space by cutting Yeremiah Bell and removing $4.35 million off the books. After shedding Brandon Marshall and Bell and signing Paul Soliai, Richard Marshall, Artis Hicks and Garrard, the Dolphins should be about $8-10 million under the salary cap right now.

The Dolphins will need every penny, because they still have several needs to fill on the roster: A receiver to replace Brandon Marshall; a pass rusher to replace Jason Taylor; a defensive back to replace Bell or Will Allen (Richard Marshall will fill one of the spots, but it’s unclear if he will play strong safety or cornerback); one more offensive lineman to compete with John Jerry, Lydon Murtha, Nate Garner and Hicks.

So where do the Dolphins go from here?

First, they probably need to shed a little more salary cap space. They still have to sign some free agents – though none will likely be high-priced – and have to sign a rookie class, which could cost upwards of $6 million. The Dolphins also need to maintain some salary cap space during the regular season for signing free agents off the street and so forth.

Who are the candidates to have their contracts restructured, or join Bell in unemployment? We have to look at the players who have high cap numbers and low amounts of “dead money” – money the Dolphins are charged against the cap even if they cut a player (they already have just under $13 million in dead cap money for 2012 on Brandon Marshall, Bell, Vernon Carey, Tim Dobbins and A.J. Edds).

The Dolphins could save $4.75 million of Reggie Bush’s $6 million cap number; $3.85 million of Randy Starks’ $5 million cap number; $3.675 million of Anthony Fasano’s $4.375 million cap number; and $3.025 million of Matt Moore’s $3.775 million cap number. Players entering the final year of their contracts are also candidates, in theory – Chris Clemons, Brian Hartline, Tyrone Culver, etc. – but those players provide crucial depth and don’t provide much cap saving (more or less $1 million per player). The team also hopes offensive tackle Jake Long, with a team-high cap number of $12.8 million, can agree to a contract extension that would lower his cap number in 2012.

And once a little more space is made, what roster moves do the Dolphins make?

In looking at the remaining free agents, there is still good depth at positions of need. Mark Anderson, who visited over the weekend, remains an option at pass rusher with the Titans set to sign Kamerion Wimbley to a five-year deal today, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM. Another Patriot, Andre Carter, is also available, as are Matt Roth (not coming back to Miami) and Jarvis Moss.

If they want a Nickel cornerback, there are still decent options out there in Baltimore’s Ladarius Webb, New Orleans’ Tracy Porter or Pittsburgh’s William Gay. Several offensive tackles are available in Marcus McNeill, Demetruis Bell, Anthony Collins and Kareem McKenzie. For interior linemen, St. Louis center Jason Brown and San Francisco guard Chilo Rachal would be solid signings.

The Dolphins can be bold and take a chance on receiver Braylon Edwards, who could be had for pennies on the dollar after he caught just 15 passes for 181 yards last year. Outside linebacker Manny Lawson would fill out the Dolphins’ linebacker corps, and played for defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle last year in Cincinnati. At safety, Reggie Smith and OJ Atogwe are still out there.

So the Dolphins still have some options in free agency. And they’ll fill in the rest of the holes in late April’s draft – focusing on a pass rusher, receiver and, yes, quarterback in the first three rounds.

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